张瑜：美国关税战的十点观察

Core Insights - The article discusses the implications of the ongoing U.S. tariff war, highlighting the potential increase in overall tariff rates and the characteristics of trade agreements, as well as the impacts of existing tariffs on imports and inflation. Group 1: New Tariffs - The new reciprocal tariffs effective from August 7 will impose a minimum of 10% on trade deficit countries and 15% on trade surplus countries [5][19] - The overall U.S. tariff rate may exceed 15%, with estimates suggesting it could rise to 17.1% or even 21.2% if key industry tariffs are implemented [6][22] - The implementation of new tariffs may narrow the tariff rate gap between China and other countries, potentially reducing the risk of export share transfer for China [24] Group 2: Characteristics of Trade Agreements - Direct investment and procurement agreements can lead to lower tariffs and reductions in key industry tariffs, with countries like Japan, the EU, and South Korea benefiting from lower rates [27][29] - Current trade agreements lack formal legal texts, leading to uncertainty regarding their execution and effectiveness [31][32] Group 3: Impact of Existing Tariffs - The increase in tariff rates by 1% has resulted in a 2.8% decline in U.S. import growth, with projections indicating a potential drop to -10.5% in the second half of the year [9][35] - Tariff costs are primarily borne by U.S. importers, with estimates suggesting that 40% to 74% of the tariff price increases have already been reflected in U.S. CPI [10][40] - The surge in imports observed in April appears to have ended, with June showing signs of a demand pullback [11][43] - As of May, approximately 61.4% of Chinese goods still maintain a price advantage despite the tariffs, although this is a decline from 76.1% in 2024 [10][55]